| Official Name: | Masohi |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Pushpin Map: | Indonesia Seram |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Seram Island |
| Pushpin Map1: | Indonesia Maluku |
| Pushpin Label Position1: | right |
| Pushpin Map Caption1: | Location in the Maluku Islands of Indonesia |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Indonesia |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Maluku |
| Subdivision Type2: | Regency |
| Subdivision Name2: | Central Maluku |
| Area Total Km2: | 37.30 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 Census |
| Population Note: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 36433 |
| Population Footnotes: | [2] |
| Timezone: | WIT |
| Utc Offset: | +9 |
| Coordinates: | -3.2989°N 128.9661°W |
Masohi is a coastal town on the Indonesian island of Seram. It is the capital of the Central Maluku Regency (Kabupaten Maluku Tengah). It was the site of a detention camp for political prisoners in the 1970s. It had 36,433 inhabitants at the 2020 census.[1] The headquarters of Manusela National Park is located in Masohi.
The name Masohi comes from a bahasa tanah from the Central Maluku branch which means 'mutual cooperation'. After being devastated and losing many of its residents due to sectarian riots at the beginning of the 21st century, this town is starting to improve itself again. The original residents are Alifuru peoples who have absorbed Ambonese culture and speak Ambonese Malay, but many immigrants from the Indonesian government's transimgration program live in this town. Masohi is a city that was built on 3 November 1957 and was inaugurated by 'laying the first stone' by Indonesia's first president, Sukarno.[3] This town was originally built on disputed land between the Amahai regional government and the Maluku provincial government after the West Seram area was not deemed suitable. This city was founded on the traditional land of the Amahai village, which was previously known as Dataran Nama (Nama Plains) which was the beginning of the new history of Seram (Nusa Ina) after its weakening the power of Republic of South Maluku leadership of Chris Soumokil as well as a form of developing Maluku after the independence of the Republic of Indonesia.
The town comprises the five urban villages or kelurahan (with their 2020 census populations) of Ampera (6,385), Lesane (4,493), Letwaru (6,412), Namaelo (15,280), and Namasina (3,863).[1]
The Maluku sectarian conflict impacted Masohi at the end of 1999 and in early 2000.[4] A fresh outbreak of violence occurred in 2008 in Masohi over alleged blasphemy by a teacher. Dozens of houses were burnt, as well as a church and a village hall. Five injuries were reported.[5] [6] [7] [8]
The road connecting Masohi runs east and west along the coast from Masohi. There is another road but it goes through the mountains to Wahai on the north coast. There is also a domestic airport here, connecting Masohi with Ambon and Banda Islands. Then there is also a sea port that serves ships coming from Ambon, Saparua, and other areas in Maluku.
There are also tourist spots in Masohi and nearby, including Akohi Cave (near Tamilouw village) and a small lake, Ihu Allah.